Flying Apsaras dance and Buddha makes hand mudras — the "Animated" Dunhuang Murals Exhibition opens

Written/Compiled by Li Xinyi

Visitors to Taipei’s Expo Dreamers Pavilion are sure to remember the scene where flowers slowly bloom and petals flutter across the sky with just a wave of the hand; those who saw the Riverside Scene at Qingming Festival at the Shanghai Expo will also recall following the figures in the painting into the artwork; but this time, at the “Animated Dunhuang Exhibition” held at Songshan Cultural and Creative Park, Taiwanese creative professionals have joined forces with an international production team from the UK, the US, and mainland China. Utilizing Hollywood MOCAP technology and software, they are unveiling the mysteries of Dunhuang Cave 220 for the first time. With just a wave of your hand, flying Apsaras will gracefully dance out of the Dunhuang murals, taking you back to the prosperity of the Tang Dynasty.

The Animated Dunhuang Exhibition is the first of its kind to combine Hollywood MOCAP motion capture technology, floating projection technology, holography production techniques, and infrared interactive sensing technology within an exhibition. It brings static Dunhuang mural stories, dancing Apsaras, and Tang Dynasty court musicians to life through the integration of digital technology and music. The actual dynamic imagery and special effects are seamlessly blended, allowing visitors to immediately immerse themselves in vivid Dunhuang tales and enjoy the music. Among the exhibits, the floating projection technique—combining live-action filming and motion capture to present the elegant postures of the flying Apsaras—is particularly talked about. It marks the first time in Taiwan that Dunhuang murals are interpreted through imagery, bringing to life the Hu Xuan dancers painted on the walls as they twirl to ancient melodies.

Director Ma Qingzhong, who studied in the UK, has created full-scale 3D animations of the 159 Dunhuang deities depicted in the Amitabha Pure Land Transformation Painting—including dancers, musicians, gods, Buddhas, and auspicious animals. Using motion capture photography technology alongside a professional team of animation directors and dance instructors, he captured their diverse expressions and movements, added situational effects, and incorporated digitally composed music based on ancient melodies, editing them into a complete animated narrative. This allows audiences to clearly see each figure performing their divine roles in aiding the Buddha’s teachings. The exhibition also features Taiwan’s first-ever naked-eye 3D relief projection of the Amitabha Buddha statue. When making a wish before the Buddha, viewers can receive an instant blessing through a dynamic hand mudra. They can interact up close with the grand Buddha statue and write their wishes on a prayer card to take the Buddha’s blessings home.

Exhibition website: www.dunhuangart.com.tw